Over the years I’ve seen my share of movies about the legend of King Arthur. Most were tepid attempts to bring to life a ‘larger than life’ character. On the side of the great we have “Excalibur”, which is by far the best movie ever made about the Knights of the Round Table. Shooting to the other end of the spectrum, we find “First Knight” which, despite its casting of Sean Connery and Richard Gere, was the worst film of 1994. (The only thing that would have saved that one was if director Jerry Zucker had turned it into an “Airplane”-like comedy.) Somewhere in the middle, we can add “King Arthur” to the list. “King Arthur” was the brainchild of producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who is the undisputed ‘king’ of huge action thrillers. He was behind “Pearl Harbor” and “Bad Boys”, just to give you an idea. This was both good and bad. Bruckheimer’s films as a whole pretty much appeal to mass audiences looking for BIG movies, with BIG explosions, and BIG action. Utilizing one’s brain for anything beyond the processing of images and one-liners is generally not a pre-requisite for seeing one of his movies.

That said, I would like to point out that I enjoy the heck out of most of Bruckheimer’s films. As much as I prefer a movie that I can sink my teeth into (metaphorically speaking), I can just as easily sit back and have a rip-roaring good time.

I initially did not expect much from “King Arthur”, and keeping my expectations low I think helped me ‘get into’ the movie, as it were. There was no question that the production was BIG. The sets and battle scenes were amazing, though most of the funny one-liners were switched out for some rather campy one-liners. This was perhaps because the film was trying to take on a more serious tone, much in the way that “Pearl Harbor” did.

But that is not the only comparison I can find to “Pearl Harbor.” Bruckheimer touts “King Arthur” as being the true story of the legend. What he means by that is that he took the stories that were written in the past, took them apart, and tried to create something wholly new. For the most part, he succeeded. “King Arthur” bears little resemblance to the one that most of us are familiar with. Even Guinevere is given a new look and life as a warrior princess (“Xena anyone?”).

Yet, in spite of all of the things going against the movie, from the huge changes in the legend to the sometimes cringe-inducing dialogue, “King Arthur” is a fairly solid piece of entertainment. Part of the trick (much like is necessary to enjoy the recent “I,Robot”), is to disassociate the movie from it’s original source material. Don’t try and compare it to anything you’ve ever read or watched about King Arthur, and there’s a real good chance you’ll enjoy it. There is an epic feel to it, both in look and scope, and the storyline is more than solid. Even the acting (campy lines notwithstanding) is pretty good throughout.

The DVD release this week from Buena Vista takes the experience a step further by offering an Extended Unrated version, complete with a few entertaining extra features. First up is the commentary by director Antoine Fuqua. I was actually pretty interested to listen to this one, as “King Arthur” was a much different film for him. In the past he had worked on decidedly non-period pieces like “Training Day” and “Tears of the Sun.” His commentary, while a bit subdued at times, was very informative and added much to the film’s overall experience.

You’ll also find some featurettes, including “Blood on the Land: Forging King Arthur”, which is one of those by-the-numbers promo pieces with interviews and some behind the scenes shots. There is also a roundtable discussion of the film by Bruckheimer, Fuqua and several of the actors. I found this to be a much better featurette because the participant’s comments seemed a little less scripted. Following these, there is an alternate ending video, an Xbox Game Demo and a photo gallery. The film also offers viewers the opportunity to turn on the “Knight Vision” subtitle track which offers up trivia about the production.

I realize a lot of my comments make it seem like I’m knocking Bruckheimer and his films, and I guess in a way I am. Again, I usually prefer meat in my meal as opposed to soybeans. But, there is certainly a place for movies like “King Arthur”, and as long as they can at least offer up a rousing good time, I’ll be there to watch.

Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Clive Owen, Keira Knightley, Stellan Skarsgard, Stephen Dellane, Ioan Gruffudd, Ray Winstone, Hugh Dancy, Joel Edgerton, Mads Mikkelson
Extras: Commentary by director Antoine Fuqua, New extended edition with 15 minutes of added footage, Alternate Ending with commentary, “Blood On The Land: Forging King Arthur" making-of-the-epic featurette, Round Table Video Commentary with cast and filmmakers, "Knight Vision" pop-up trivia viewing mode, King Arthur Xbox playable video game demo, Producer Jerry Bruckheimer's personal photo gallery
Specifications: Widescreen (2.35:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Buenva Vista Home Video
Release Date: 12/21/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R
Website

We'll give King Arthur a C+.